When he stood ready in his priest’s robes, after pouring the wine into the chalice he had brought with him, he said with bowed head: “Listen, Lars. The trial is next week. Won’t you ask your wife to go and give evidence for you? I can confirm what you have now confessed?”
“Oh, yes,” said the old man, looking longingly at the chalice. The wife sighed upon her bench, but came up and took the quid out of her husband’s mouth, and laid it on the window-sill.
When the priest had given the sacrament, and had packed up his gown again, he sat a little longer by the dying man’s bedside. It seemed as if Lars had only kept up in expectation of the sacrament and the forgiveness of his sins, and that he now suddenly began to sink. Once he opened his eyes and turned them upon his wife. She understood him, and took the half-chewed quid from the window-sill and put it into his mouth; and Lars looked at her, as much as to say: “Yes, that was it.”
The priest rose, and was taking his departure when the dying man looked once more at the priest and then affectionately at his wife, and whispered: “Oh no! She mustn’t be made to go and give evidence, for he’ll take the cottage from her if she does.”
“Very well,” said the priest a little uncertainly, as he paused.
Old Lars smiled with content at finding that every prospect had brightened so wonderfully, both for time and eternity; and he settled himself deeper into his pillow. He then wanted to raise his head as if to spit, but could not; the tobacco stuck in his throat, and he coughed; and the cough became a dying rattle, and after a moment that too ceased.
His wife stood some time gazing at him, and then went resolutely up and closed his eyes. She then turned to the priest. “Thank God!” she said with emotion. “Now I know that Lars died saved.”
On his way homewards with his bag in his hand the priest stopped on the hill, and sitting down on a stone, rested his chin in his hand, and looked out over the parish.
Whenever Pastor Borring had imparted forgiveness of sins he was always unhappy; for in the first place he did not feel that God had charged him with the forgiveness of sins, and in the second he did not believe in the notion of forgiveness. And yet in the course of time he had laid his hand in church upon the heads of thousands, and lied this dangerous comfort into their souls.